19/09/2010
Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi
On Board Special Aircraft, Sep 18 (PTI) President Pratibha Patil today completed her two-nation state visit to Laos and Cambodia in a bid to deepen economic and cultural ties with the two key ASEAN countries as part of an effort to boost India''s Look East Policy.
During the President''s successful ten-day visit, lines of credit were extended to Laos and Cambodia and important business pacts inked.
Talking to reporters on board the special aircraft, Patil underlined that the visit aimed at reinforcing the deep historical and cultural ties along with efforts to build a dynamic economic and developmental relationship with the two nations.
"My visit to these countries was undertaken to reinforce the deep historical and cultural ties which India has with these countries dating back to more than 2000 years, and to build a dynamic economic and developmental partnership on these foundations,� she said.
During her visit to Laos, which began on September 9, India extended a line of credit worth USD 72.55 million to finance two power projects in the country.
A Cultural Exchange Agreement for the years 2011-13 was also signed between the two nations.
Patil said Laos underlined its deep appreciation for India''s continued assistance and support for its developmental efforts through loans and assistance in the field of human resource development, hydropower and irrigation schemes in particular.
"I was informed that the National Assembly of Laos has already approved the India-ASEAN Agreement on Trade in Goods and only some administrative formalities remain prior to its notification," she said.
Laos, a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, has also indicated that it looked forward to investments from the Indian private sector.
The Aditya Birla Group and Kirloskar already have a big presence in Laos while the Tata group is exploring possibilities of investment in the mining sector.
A 45-member business delegation, comprising of members of CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM, travelled with the President, and signed MoU with the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Laos.
Patil and President Choummaly Sayasone also participated in a virtual inauguration of the 115 KV Paksong-Jiangxi-Bangyo transmission line project in Champasak province of Laos, where the government of India has provided a line of credit for USD 18 million.
The Indian President and her husband Devisingh Shekhawat were accorded a warm welcome at Phnom Penh when they arrived on September 13 in Cambodia for the second leg of the 10-day tour.
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